
17/08/2025
Filmore Brown worked for decades to pay off his Brooklyn home, completing his mortgage in 2019. Years later, he discovered that a $5,000 unpaid water bill he says he never knew about had been sold as a lien to private investors. That lien led to foreclosure and his house being auctioned off, even though he continued paying thousands of dollars in taxes and other water bills. Brown insists he never received proper notice, and now he’s fighting to reclaim the home he feels was wrongfully taken. His case has sparked rallies in Brooklyn and calls from lawmakers to change how the city handles property liens.